Virtually all private residences, businesses and governments employ locks on all exterior doors and many interior doors to control physical access to premises and vehicles, and to protect valuable contents and occupants from outsiders. The technology of locks and related security products have developed to provide a very wide range of choices in security levels, locking mechanisms, key types and other features. Available “key” technologies include, among others, various kinds of mechanical keys, magnetically coded swipe cards, so-called “smart” cards with embedded microelectronic devices, plastic or metal cards coded with mechanical holes, short range radio frequency (RF) or infrared (IR) transmitters with coded signals, and various keypad arrangements requiring the user to input a predetermined unlocking code.
Presently, keys are generally associated with one or a few doors, and therefore, access to the keys, i.e., the use of the doors, is controlled by the owner of the premises or vehicle to which the door allows access. The current system of lock usage leads to a number of problems both for the owners of premises and vehicles with lockable doors and for individual users. Most individual users are forced to carry and manage a large number of mechanical keys anchor cards. Also, it is an issue to remember a number of passwords or keypad numbers and which key fits which lock, especially for keys which are used infrequently. Lost keys may result, in the case of mechanical keys, in a need to replace or re-key all locks with which the keys were associated. If a number of individual users have keys to a single door and one is lost, all key holders must be contacted and provided with new keys.
As well, passwords or keypad numbers can be inadvertently or deliberately revealed, thereby lessening security and usually resulting in a need to re-program the lock to accept a new code. Then, when code locks must be re-programmed, all authorized users must be informed of the new code and they must, therefore remember yet another code.
Also, keeping track of who has keys to which doors can be an issue and this becomes more complex, as in many business situations, the more doors and employees there are.
Further, if individuals are permitted to access some parts of a facility but not others, Then a multiplicity of keys is required, adding to the problem of key management for both business and individual. And temporary access to premises by, for example, cleaning staff or neighbours, is difficult to control and monitor and, thus, reduces security.
Access to premises in emergency or potential emergency situations, such as by fire departments in the event of a fire alarm, usually requires forced entry if normally-authorized persons are not available to unlock doors, thereby causing structural damage and consequent repair expenses.
Most businesses and many homes make use of monitored alarm systems in addition to door locks, requiring individual users both to carry keys for the premises and to remember alarm codes.
Access control systems exist that solve some of the problems by means of wired connections to the doors for which access is being controlled. Some of these systems can communicate between locations via wide area networks. Generally, such systems require special software and computer systems on or near the premises being protected. Often dedicated monitoring equipment and stations are required. These systems are costly to install and operate and are oriented towards larger organizations. These systems also do not extend to controlling access to locations where wired connections are impractical.
A number of other locking and access control systems have been devised. For example, it is known to employ wireless communication between a secure door and remote site in order to obtain authorization. While these systems are successful in solving some of the problems mentioned above, they are usually too costly or require too much technical support to be of use to private residences or small businesses. In addition, none of the technologies employed thus far address the problems of the individual user who must deal with a large number of keys and/or codes.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide an improved system and method for physical access control, in which most of the above conventional problems and disadvantages can be solved.